Wedding Bells
by Medoc0
Summary: Kate is getting married but is she making the right choice? Loosely based on the song Face Down by The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus.
1. Chapter 1

**Going for a longer story here. The Tate will come in later chapters. Please have patience.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own NCIS. It belongs to the great Don Bellisario. Please do not sue me.**

* * *

'Katie Todd, will you marry me?'

Kate felt her heart beating in her chest.

'Yes! oh God yes!'

Kate's boyfriend slips the diamond engagement ring onto her finger. Then he stands up and kisses her.

Everyone in the bar applauds. The barman tells them they are welcome to beers on the house.

Kate is ecstatic. She's getting married. She's getting married. She's getting married.

Kate has known Jim for exactly a year. This is their anniversary.

She loves Jim, and she would love to spend the rest of her life with him.

* * *

Later that night when they get home, Kate checks the messages on her mobile. 

A voicemail from her brother,

A missed call from a friend

And an SMS from Tony.

Kate opens it and reads:

_R u watchin survivor?_

Kate deletes the message without replying. This is unusual as she usually makes a point to reply to all messages. Even Tony's.

Tony always texted her when something good was on TV.

Kate turns off her phone and puts it back into her bag.

She saunters into the bedroom where her fiancé is waiting.

* * *

The next morning Kate rolls out of bed and proceeds to take a shower. 

After a short time she is joined by Jim.

'Hey good morning Katie, how are we today?'

'Just great.'

He smiles and kisses her. 'we're getting married!'

Kate kisses him back. 'Mmm, I have to call my mother today so she can help with everything.'

Jim smirks. 'Well we're going to have to tell her sooner or later. Maybe my mother and her can get together and share embarrassing stories about when we were little.'

Kate laughs. 'They'd love that. I'm going to tell the guys at work today too. I wonder what my boss'll say.'

'The one with the three ex-wives?'

'The very same.'

Jim chuckles. 'Well you already know what he'll say if you're late.'

Both of them get out of the shower and proceed to get ready to go to their respective work places.

Jim is a doctor.

Kate's mother had always wanted her to marry a doctor.


	2. Chapter 2

**Here is chapter two. I will try to update fast before the dreaded writers block gets me.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own NCIS. It belongs to the great Don Bellisario. Please do not sue me.**

* * *

Kate arrives at NCIS HQ.

_Today will be a GOOD day._ She tells herself.

After going through security she steps into the elevator.

'Hold the door!'

Her partner sprints from the metal detectors to catch the elevator.

Tony steps after her into the elevator.

'Did you watch survivor last night?'

'No, what happened?'

Tony gives her a mock gape. 'You didn't watch?!'

'No, I had a date.' Kate waits for the inevitable. Here it comes.

'Ooooh, a date!'

Kate turns to him and smiles. 'Yes Tony a date. Probably the last one for a while.'

Kate leaves Tony with this sentence as she steps out into the bull pen.

Tony jogs to catch up with her. 'What? Why? Are you taking a vow of celibacy of something?'

Kate turns suddenly to face him, Tony, still walking, has to stop short to stop bumping into her. They are now standing toe-to-toe.

Kate smiles sweetly at him.

'Not a vow of celibacy, no.'

Kate holds up her left hand for him to see. 'Tony, I'm getting married.'

Kate fights the urge to laugh. The look on Tony's face is priceless. Of all the things he expected her to say, THAT was not one of them.

Then his expression changes, so suddenly it is alarming, his face breaks into a smile.

'Congratulations, Kate.'

And with that he turns and goes to sit at his desk.

_What? no jokes? No sexist remarks?_

McGee, having also seen this display comes around his desk to congratulate her.

He smiles his boyish smile and pats her shoulder.

Kate gestures meaningfully with her head towards Tony.

McGee shrugs and walks back to his desk.

Kate sits down at her own desk.

She fingers the diamond thoughtfully.

At that moment Gibbs walks in with his coffee.

'Morning Gibbs.' Kate says automatically.

'Morning.' Chant Tony and McGee.

'Morning.' Says Gibbs.

Kate walks over to his desk and waits for him to settle.

Her boss looks at her expectantly. 'Speak.'

Kate smirks. 'I'm getting married'

Gibbs smiles, 'Congratulations Kate.'

Kate can feel Tony looking at her.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter three is here. I dont know how long I will make this, only time will tell.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own NCIS. It belongs to the great Don Bellisario. Please do not sue me.**

* * *

That evening, eleven hours, five coffees, three Gibbs-stares and one Abby-hug later, (Oh my God Kate I am SO happy for you!)

It is time to go home.

The team had had a pretty quiet day. Just paperwork.

Surprisingly, Tony hadn't annoyed her all day. Tony hadn't annoyed _anyone_ all day. He seemed to actually be working.

When Tony gets into the elevator, Kate steps in after him.

'Why didn't you annoy me today?' Even before the words are out of her mouth she knows they sound stupid.

Tony arches an eyebrow.

'Oh come on Tony! Don't play dumb, you've barely spoken to me all day.'

For a second Kate thinks she sees a flicker of something on Tony's face. Sadness?

Tony sighs. 'Believe me Kate. Its Nothing. I...I'm just…tired.'

Kate for once decides to let the issue drop. She'd like to believe him if not for the fact that he definitely was not tired that morning.

But Tony clearly doesn't want to talk about it.

The two agents leave HQ and exit into the parking lot.

Kate says goodnight to Tony and gets into her car. She turns the key, the engine makes a whining sound.

_No, no come on! Don't do this to me!_

Kate gets out of her car and kicks it. Naturally this does not achieve much apart from Kate having a sore foot.

'Shit.'

* * *

Tony watches from his own car.

He sighs and steps out into the night.

'Let me give it a try.'

Kate jumps slightly.

'Get in. I'll look under the bonnet.'

Kate obediently gets into the car.

Tony props the bonnet of her car up but has to step back to avoid the smoke. Tony waves his hands to disperse it. Tony knows enough about cars to know that Kate's car has overheated. Its not going anywhere tonight.

He walks around to the drivers side, where Kate is waiting patiently.

'Well?' she says.

'You've overheated it, it'll be about an hour before it'll start.'

Kate gets out. 'Stupid, stupid, bloody car!'

Tony fights the urge to laugh. Kate's so cute when she's angry.

Tony raises his hands. 'Calm down Kate.'

Kate shoots him a deathglare.

Tony clears his throat. 'Come on, I'll drive you home.'

'I can't just leave my car here.'

'Why not?' says Tony, taking her arm and steering her gently towards his car. 'Its not going anywhere, I mean come on Kate, what shmuck is going to steal a car from the parking lot of a _federal agency_.'

Kate had to smile at that one.

'I guess you're right.' There was a slight pause before Kate added: 'I _hate_ it when you're right.

Tony, still holding Kate's arm, just grinned his trademark grin.

* * *

**Please review, it keeps me motivated **


	4. Chapter 4

**Here is Chapter 4. Its pretty short. But do not fear! I will update soon. Ch5 will most likely be up before the end of the night.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own NCIS. It belongs to the great Don Bellisario. Please do not sue me.**

* * *

Tony drives Kate home in silence.

Both are seemingly deep in thought.

Kate thinks about the wedding to come.

The happiest day of her life.

She remembers her sisters' weddings.

How she, Kate, was always the bridesmaid.

Never the bride.

'Till now.

Tony is also thinking about the wedding.

Thinking how just a tiny part of him is regretful.

But he shouldn't be feeling regret.

_Why_ is he feeling regret?

He should be feeling happiness for Kate.

Or so he tells himself.

* * *

'Kate.'

'Yeah?'

'We're here.'

'Oh, sorry. Must've zoned out…'

Kate takes her stuff and lets herself out of Tony's car.

'Kate?'

'Yeah?'

'I'll pick you up tomorrow at eight.'

'No its-'

'Its fine. It's no problem. You're on the way anyway.'

'No really…'

'See you at eight…Kate.'

'Tony.'

'Yes?'

'Thank you.'

'Ciao, Kate.'

'Bye.'

* * *

Kate lets herself into her apartment, still smiling.

Tony can be an annoying, sexist, childish playboy but he is still her friend, after all.

* * *

**R&R my pretties...**


	5. Chapter 5

**Thank you everyone for the reveiws, here is Chapter 5.**

**In this chapter we see a little of the real Jim.**

**I am going back to school soon so I wont be able to update as fast. Do not fear, I will finish.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own NCIS. It belongs to the great Don Bellisario. Please do not sue me.**

* * *

Jim is standing in the living room, looking out onto the street from the window.

'Hello Katie.'

'Hi Jim.'

Kate hangs up her coat, dumps her stuff and slips off her shoes.

'Who was that dear?'

'Who?'

'In the car.'

Jim's eyes are ice.

'That was…Tony, he drove me home.'

He has been drinking. Vodka. Kate can smell it on him.

He takes a step closer.

He seems taller.

'_Why _did Tony drive you home?' Jims voice is soft and dangerous.

'I overheated my car.'

'Did it ever occur to you Katie _dear_ that you could have called me? Let me know where you were?'

Kate blushes.

'I- I'm sorry. I didn't think.'

'You didn't think.' Jim repeats, his voice little more than a whisper.

For a second Kate is genuinely frightened of him.

Kate blinks, angry at herself for letting Jim intimidate her.

'I'll- I'll call next time, Ok?' Kate's voice is higher than usual. More shrill.

Jim doesn't reply. Just fixes her with his gaze, his eyes the colour of water.

Kate turns and walks into her bedroom.

* * *

Jim is a different man when he's drunk. Alcohol is supposed to rid you of your inhibitions, but with Jim its different.

When Jim drinks he becomes mean.

He has supposed to have given up. Evidently not.

Kate has never been on the receiving end of Jim's drunkenness, though she knew.

Kate changes into her pyjamas and crawls into bed.

She prays that Jim won't come to bed till later.

Till she is asleep.

Tomorrow Jim will be hung-over, and it will be her fault for making him worry so.

She decides to call Tony.

Tell him to pick her up early.

Jim will be angry, but not as angry as he would be if he is hung-over.

If she comes home before he does, makes him dinner and plays a good housewife, he will be docile, and he will choose to forget tonight's incidents.

Kate slides her hand inside her pillowcase,

Where her loaded handgun is.

Just in case.

* * *

**Please R&R**


	6. Chapter 6

**Here is Ch6. Slightly uneventful but Ch7 and Ch8 will be important.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own NCIS. It belongs to the great Don Bellisario. Please do not sue me.**

_

* * *

_

_Three weeks later_

'I'm so happy!'

'Mom, calm down.'

Kate hands her mother another tissue.

_I shouldn't have told her._

'I have to organise! We have to have an engagement party!'

Kate's eyes widen, 'No, Mom. No party.'

'Yes party. This weekend. I'll call everyone. We can have it at Lucy's house, that is if she'll let us…'

Kate pinches the bridge of her nose. Her mother is being even more overbearing than usual.

'…I have to make a list. There's your brothers and their wives, Anna and Kevin…and you can invite your friends from school- er…work.'

Kate allowed her mother to prattle on.

* * *

The date for the engagement party is set for that weekend. Kate's sister Lucy agrees to let them throw it at her house.

The family is contacted, Kate's brother Jesse flies in from London, Ben from NY.

Anna, Kevin and their herd of children come home from Orlando.

Kate informs the rest of the team of the date and location. Gibbs agrees to come after learning that there will be alcoholic beverages.

Jim (having disregarded the…carpooling incident) tells his mother who reacts similarly to Kate's. They now have each others phone numbers and are swapping embarrassing stories about their children.

But there is one thought that bothers her:

How will Jim react to meeting Tony.

They are complete opposites.

Tony is funny and loud, he always has something to say.

Jim is serious and prefers to listen rather than talk.

However, Kate knows that they both are dangerous when angry.

* * *

On Friday afternoon Kate gets into the elevator with Tony and presses the emergency stop button.

'Tony…I need to talk to you.'

Tony is surprised, but he smiles.

'Talk away.'

'Well you see… its about Sunday, The engagement party.'

Kate pauses, as though she is not quite sure how to put her plight into words.

'My fiancé, Jim, was…upset that I didn't call him when you drove me home.

He thought…well I don't know what he thought. Anyway, when you meet him on Sunday, just try to be…try to be good. Please.'

Tony rolls his tongue around in his cheek, thinking.

After a couple of seconds he nods, looks back up at her.

'I think I know what you mean. I'll er… "be good"'

Tony smirks.

Kate lets out a relieved sigh.

'Can I ask you a personal question?'

Kate arches an eyebrow. 'Nothing I said has ever stopped you before.'

'Would Jim ever hurt you? Physically I mean.'

Kate frowns. 'No. Of course not. He loves me.'

Tony just nods. He's thinking again.

They both hear the words Tony does not speak:

_Crimes of passion…_

_

* * *

_

**Please R&R**


	7. Chapter 7

**Here's chapter 7. A bit uneventful so chapter 8 is also up. This should be finished soon.**

* * *

Kate stands with Jim. It is Sunday.

They are talking to Jim's mother. She is equally as pleasant as Gibbs.

Jim pointedly asks his mother if she has tried Lucy's brownies. Jims mother (who obviously has an eating disorder of some sort) waddles off in search of the said confectionary.

Jim pinches the bridge of his nose.

'I'm beginning to understand why my father divorced her.'

Kate smiles.

The party is going better than Kate had expected.

Her mother hasn't done anything yet and her father is talking to Ducky, or rather her father is listening to Ducky talk.

Tony has heeded Kate's warning. He is keeping an acceptable distance away from her and Jim but he is watching. Always watching. But not in a stalkerish way, more like he's guarding her.

Kate feels a hot rush of anger. She does not need a guard.

But deep down she is grateful he came.

* * *

'Which one is he?' 

Kate's train of thought is broken by Jim.

'What? Who?'

'Tony. The guy who drove you home. Is he here?'

Kate chooses to ignore the urgency in the tone of Jims voice.

Kate points to Tony, Standing with Gibbs. 'The younger one.'

Jim breaks away from Kate, knowing she will follow, and walks over to Gibbs and Tony.

Gibbs is holding a glass of something, and he has a rather un-Gibbs like smile on his face.

'Hello.' He says brightly.

Kate raises an eyebrow at Tony, who makes a drink-drink gesture in answer.

Kate rolls her eyes. She knows from past experience that Gibbs is usually harmless when he is drunk, but has a tendency to hit on redheads…more than usual.

Kate suddenly has an idea.

'Gibbs, have you met my sister Lucy?' she's over there, by the fish pond. The redhead.'

Gibbs smiles and walks off drunkenly.

Jim looks after him. 'Very smooth. How did you know that would work?'

Kate shrugged. 'I had a hunch.'

She can see Tony struggling to keep a straight face.

'Tony, This is Jim. Jim, Tony.'

The men shake hands.

'Kate and I are partners.'

Jim nods wordlessly.

She watches them size each other up, watches them mentally calculate who would win in a fight.

Kate sighs inwardly. _Men were pathetic._

On the surface, they seem to be getting along perfectly, both smiling and laughing and nodding at the right times, but Kate, (being a profiler) sees more.

She sees how Jim's smile is a little to forced, his laugh a little too loud.

Sees how Tony is talking to Jim, but his thoughts are elsewhere.

Sees how when they leave, there is a flicker of something like anger in Jim's eyes when he looks at her.

* * *

**The plot for this one is somewhat disjointed. Hum.**

**Anyway, please review.**


	8. Chapter 8

**A somewhat darker chapter. since I am writing this story as I go along I am not sure when I will submit chapter 9. Hopefull soon, I enjoy writing this story.**

* * *

Sunday night.

Kate is cleaning her gun.

Jim has gone out.

Kate does not know when he will be back, nor does she know where he went, but she can make an educated guess.

Kate finishes cleaning her firing pin.

She glances at the clock.

2314.

Will this be what her marriage is like?

Waiting for her husband to come home, knowing when he does he will be drunk?

2316.

Kate starts to clean her magazine.

Kate thinks about what Tony asked her.

If Jim would ever hurt her.

"No" had been her automatic answer.

But was it the right one?

2318.

Kate puts her gun back together and commences cleaning the outside of it.

Muzzle, handle, trigger.

Kate suddenly remembers a case they had a while back.

A young female petty officer was stabbed to death by her husband because he had suspected she was having an affair with her commanding officer.

The petty officer's husband had turned out to be a paranoid schizophrenic, but that wasn't the point.

The point was that jealousy can make people do crazy things.

Kate remembers how Jim was after Tony had driven her home.

Kate pushes the thought to the back of her mind.

Jim would never hurt her.

Jim loved her.

2321.

Kate finishes cleaning her gun and puts it back in its holster, puts the holster back on the hall table.

Just as she does so, she hears Jim's key in the lock.

She jumps at the small noise after almost three hours of silence.

Jim stumbles inside.

'K-Katie.'

Kate turns away from him, suddenly angry.

'Katie. C'mere…'

Jim puts his hand on Kate's shoulder but she shrugs away from his touch.

Kate turns to face him, now practically shaking with rage.

'Don't you think, don't you _think_ that you can stay out drinking half the night then come home smashed.'

Jim is quick to respond.'You _f-fucking_ hypocrite. Y-you stay out screwing that Tony bastard and expect me not to care.'

Kate gasps. 'How dare you! How _fucking_ dare you! Tony and I are friends! You can't just accuse me of something like that!'

Jim holds one threatening finger in Kate's face.

'Be careful how you speak to me, Katie.'

Kate slaps his hand away.

'Fuck you.'

Jim grabs both of Kate's wrists.

'Did you just hit me?'

Kate struggles in his grasp. 'Jim-'

Jim tightens his grip on her wrists. Kate knows that they will bruise.

'Don't you _ever_ hit me again Katie. I'm warning you.'

'Let- go- of- me!'

'Do you understand me Katie?'

Kate continues to struggle. Jim moves his face closer to hers.

'Do. You. Understand. Me?'

'Yes' Kate whimpers. 'Yes!'

Jim pushes Kate away from him. Kate falls backwards onto the hall carpet.

Jim stalks off into the kitchen, leaving her lying there.

Kate picks herself up. hot tears of self pity run quick down her face.

_Welcome to the rest of your life._

She slowly walks to her bedroom, cradling her bruised wrists.

Kate slips off her shoes and crawls fully clothed into bed.

She begins to sob bitterly into her pillow.

Jim does not come to bed until after she has cried herself to sleep.

* * *

**Poor Kate. Don't worry, I won't let it end too badly...Or will I???**

**Well you'll just have to wait and see now wont you?**

**Please R & R.**


	9. Chapter 9

**Voila! chapter 9! I finally updated. Its a miracle... A bit short but chapter 10 is a long one...**

**Disclaimer: I own nothiiiink!**

* * *

It is the morning after.

Kate rolls over onto her back.

Her hair clings to her face with last nights tears.

Kate checks her clock, she is running late.

She dresses quickly and makes her way into the kitchen. There is a sticky-note on the counter top.

_Got a code blue, had to go in to work._

_Made you coffee._

_See you tonight,_

_Jim x_

Kate hadn't expected any mention of the night before. This was Jim's way of apologising: coffee and silence.

Tonight Jim will act as if nothing has happened. But then again, so will she.

Tony thinks himself to be pretty observant. He has to be, as he uses this skill in his work as a Special Agent.

So Tony, who would notice something like a human hair on a dark coloured carpet drenched with blood in the middle of a crime scene, _does_ notice a change in Kate.

On Monday morning, she seems tired. He makes a predictable quip about late nights and she shoots him the deathglare. _That_ is pretty normal, but some other things are not.

Like the way she unconsciously pulls the sleeves of her woollen jumper over her hands and twists them around her thumbs.

Tony has seen that behaviour in women before, though, usually in teenage girls than in women like Kate.

A trick cutters used to hide their wrists.

_To hide her wrists._

Tony knows Kate well enough to know that she is not so unstable as to cut herself,

But then why?

Tony remembers what he asked Kate in the elevator on Friday afternoon.

He feels a surge of anger pulse through him. Tony looks over at Kate. She's not doing the wrist thing now, as she is typing.

Tony watches her hands move. Just under her thumb is a purplish bruise. Tony guesses that there are identical bruises on her other wrist.

Tony looks over at Gibbs, sipping his coffee. Tony remembers Gibbs' reaction to that Mikel guy, Abby's stalker ex-boyfriend.

But Mikel had never physically hurt Abby, thank God. If he had, Gibbs _would_ have beaten him to a pulp with a baseball bat, then probably shot him a couple of times…

Tony wonders absently how much the hospital bill would be for Jim after being "punished" by Gibbs, himself, McGee and probably Abby. The bastard would probably get his bill halved because he was a fucking _doctor… _But then again, Ducky would operate for free.

* * *

**please r&r**


	10. Chapter 10

**Here is chap10. its loooooong. **

**disclaimer: i own notiiiiink!**

* * *

Tony is not usually one to gossip about other people and their problems, but this is serious.

So he pretends to Gibbs and the others that he is going to ask Abby some detail about gunshot residue, and makes his way down to her lab.

As per usual, Abby is playing her music as she works. As Tony enters she spins on her heel, ponytails flying.

'Hey Tony!'

'Hi Abs.' says Tony, somewhat less enthusiastically.

'Aw. What's wrong? You don't sound happy.'

'Well…you see…its about Kate.'

Abby rolls her eyes at him. 'You see? I warned you Tony, I told you to make a move before someone else did, but nooooo. You never listen to Abby even though Abby knows best. And now she's engaged–'

But Tony cuts her off. 'Abby, it isn't like that.'

Abby smirks. 'Sure it isn't.'

Suddenly Tony is annoyed. 'Damnit Abby, this is serious.'

She holds up both hands in mock surrender. 'OK, OK, no need to get angry. I'm listening.'

Tony pinches the bridge of his nose. 'You know that thing that cutters do? Where they pull their sleeves down without realising it? Well Kate's been doing that all morning. There are bruises on her wrists.'

Tony watches Abby absorb this information. 'You- you think her fiancé…'

Tony sighs. 'To be perfectly honest, Abby I don't know what to think. I care about Kate. A lot. You know that I do, I want her to be happy. But if her husband or fiancé or whatever is _abusing_ her then I have to do something.'

Abby puts her hand on his arm. 'Kate's a smart girl.' She says reassuringly. 'She wouldn't stick with someone who hurt her. I think that we just have to…back off a bit. I mean all you saw was a bruise on her wrist right? That doesn't necessarily mean that this Jim dude is beating her up.'

As usual Abby is right. Abby is always right. Tony tells her this and thanks her.

But as he leaves her lab he can't help thinking that he needs to talk to Kate himself.

Tony pushes the button for the elevator. _Speak of the devil._

Kate is standing in the elevator, holding a file and chewing the end of her pen. She's doing the sleeve thing again.

Kate looks up and sees him. Tony is startled by how much younger she looks when she is surprised. When the mask falls.

Tony steps into the elevator and stands by her side.

His instincts tell him that its now or never. Tony reaches across Kate to push the emergency stop button.

Kate takes her pen out of her mouth.

'Tony, what?-'

Tony closes his strong hand around Kate's right wrist, taking the pen and sliding her sleeve down to her elbow.

The skin on the underside of Kate's forearm is pale, making the purpled bruising stand out all the more.

'Care to share?' queries Tony, his voice hard.

Kate twists out of Tony's grasp and slips her sleeve down again, winding it around her thumb.

'Its not what you think.'

'You don't know what I think.'

Tony's silence to Kate is worse than his words could ever be.

She sighs, lets her gaze slide away from his.

'Jim didn't mean to hurt me. I made him angry. It was my fault, I-' But Tony cuts her off.

Tony's eyes widen. 'Your fault? _Your fault?_ Kate, it was not your fault. Its never the victim's fault. It was his fault. He obviously has anger problems.'

'He doesn't have anger problems Tony. And really its not any of your business.'

'You see Kate, that's where you're wrong. It is my business. We're partners. Your health and wellbeing is every bit my business.'

Kate smacks the emergency stop button again, restarting the elevator.

'A bruise on my wrist doesn't classify as damaged health or wellbeing, as it doesn't stop me doing my job. And yes Tony, we are partners, but my personal life has nothing to do with you, so just stay out of it.'

Kate's words are laced with anger and hostility. Her tone surprises Tony.

'I- I thought we were friends. Friends tell each other things.' Tony doesn't care that his hurt shows in his voice.

The elevator doors open.

Kate looks at him, her eyes like hard black stones. 'Well Tony,' she says as she steps out, 'You thought wrong.'

Tony is left standing in the elevator, he doesn't move, not even as the doors begin to close.

* * *

**please r&r, r&r like the wind!**


	11. Chapter 11

**So sorry for the wait...This chapter is longer, with lots of Tatey goodness though it is a sad chappy.**

**Chapter 12 will probably be the wedding, but I don't know. I may draw the angst out a little more, do more Jim evilness, I haven't decided yet, but it will probably be finished soon, two more chapters at the most.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothiiiiink NOTHIIIIINK!!! ('cept Jim, his evilness is all my creation)**

* * *

Kate walks to her desk, deliberately not looking behind her.

She sits down and brushes her fringe out of her eyes.

Kate bites down on her bottom lip. Hard. But she still cannot stop the hot tears that slip over her cheeks, leaving trails of black.

Trails of remorse.

Kate regrets what she said to Tony. She hadn't meant it.

Kate looks down at her wrists. She pulls her sleeves down again over the purple. Maybe Tony was right. Jim should get help. She should get him back into AA meetings.

_AA meetings that he refuses to go to._

* * *

Tony slides down the elevator wall and sits on the floor. He numbly registers the doors closing.

'_I- I thought we were friends_.'

'_You thought wrong.'_

Of all of their fights, this is by far the worst.

Tony had been under the impression that they were close. Well of course they were close. They trusted each other with their lives. But that was work. In the field, Tony has her six, but out of work hours Tony can't always be there to watch her six. He can't always be there to keep her safe.

The sound of the elevator doors opening pulls Tony out of his funk.

Gibbs is standing at the entrance, cup of coffee in hand and a quizzical expression on his face. Standing a little behind him is Fornell, looking unusually bitter.

Tony doesn't move as the two men step into the elevator.

Fornell clears his throat pointedly.

Tony blinks up at them mutely.

'DiNozzo!' Gibbs barks, then softer: 'What're you doing?'

'Sitting.'

'Well go and sit at your desk. We need to use the elevator.'

Gibbs reaches the hand that is not holding his coffee down to help Tony up.

As he is leaving he hears Fornell say something, but Tony isn't listening,

Kate is sitting at her desk. And she's _crying._

* * *

Kate is staring at her pencil jar but not seeing it.

Still the tears come, but she has given up trying to stem the flow.

When she was little, two or three years old, she was terrified of clowns. Kate would hide her face in her tiny hands. _If I can't see him then he can't get me._

How Kate wishes it was that simple. That she could just close her eyes and it would all go away; the fear, the sorrow, the guilt.

When Tony comes up to her desk, she is too spent to notice him until he puts his hand on her shoulder.

Kate jumps at his touch, and he winces.

When a champagne bottle is shaken, pressure builds up inside the bottle and when the cork is released champagne spurts out, soaking the unfortunate soul who is standing in range.

That is a little like what Kate does, after a few seconds of just looking at Tony, she begins to cry.

Racking sobs that tear at her throat and at her heart.

And Tony, Tony just kneels in front of her, pulls her onto the floor and holds her while she cries, stokes her hair.

Its seems like an eternity, a lifetime even, that they sit there, rocking gently, almost under Kate's desk, but it is only a few moments.

'I'm sorry.' Kate murmurs into his chest.

Tony kisses the top of her head. 'Me too, Kate.'

'What the hell am I supposed to do?'

Tony pulls away from her, looks her into her dark eyes. 'I can't give you the answer to that one.' He brushes her hair off her face, hair stuck to her cheeks with tears. Tony leans forward and kisses her gently. Funny how such a small kiss can say so many things. Kate can feel Tony's regret, his unexplained sorrow, and also, his love. Yes, Kate has never been so sure of anything in her life. Tony loves her.

And she loves him.

But Kate knows that this is nothing new. They have been dancing around the obvious for more than a year now, longer than she has even known Jim.

Jim.

Kate pulls away from Tony, standing up. She pushes her hair off her face and wipes her eyes.

Tony stands too. 'Tony I–'

Tony puts his finger over her lips. 'I understand.' He looks at her sadly. Kate looks into his green eyes. She opens her mouth to tell him something –anything– but their moment is destroyed by Gibbs. Sometimes she thinks she could shoot him.

'Gear up, we got another victim!'

Or she could just hire the killer they were chasing.

Both of them turn away to get their things, deliberately not looking at each other.

And Kate wonders to herself, as she climbs into the NCIS truck, tries to remember, has Jim ever kissed her like Tony did? Kissed her so she feels as he does? Kate knows that the answer is no. But she doesn't let herself think this. She doesn't let herself think that that one little kiss probably meant more than her entire relationship with Jim.

She doesn't let herself think that that even though she knew that it was wrong, it had felt undeniably, undoubtedly,

Right.

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**Reviews make crazy writers smile :) :) :)**


	12. Chapter 12

**Here are chapters 12 & 13. I am halfway through chapter 14 which will probably be the ending. Be warned, this one is a little dark.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own NCIS. Neither do I own And Never Let Her Go, which spurred me to write parts of this.  
**

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Jim Rowels is a proud man. 

He has been called narcissistic before, but it does not bother him.

After all, at the end of the day _he_ is the one with the money. _He_ is the renowned neurologist.

He knows what he likes. And he likes Caitlin Todd.

But what Katie doesn't seem to understand is that when she agreed to marry him, she became his.

Jim has to have things his way. He needs control. Jim does not like to be challenged, although he always wins. There are not many people brave (or ignorant) enough to cross James Gregory Rowels, MD.

And this is the precise reason that he is angry- no livid, when Katie, his fiancé, his woman, is lying to him. He can feel it, see it in her eyes. she loves somebody else. And that somebody is, and can only be, her partner. Tony DiNozzo.

She is undermining him, taking away from his narcissistic foundation. Katie needs to be brought back into line, needs to be taught.

Jim will get the last word. Jim always gets the last word.

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The worst part of this is that this time Jim is sober. But that makes it a hundred times worse. 

Kate listens as he rants and raves. Jim is the text book narcissist, He not only believes he's in charge but desperately _needs_ to believe he's in charge. It's the way he functions. He is paranoid, and now he has got it into his head that Kate is cheating on him.

Kate waits for him to pause for breath before she interjects.

'I already told you.' She says through gritted teeth. 'Tony and I are just friends. I am not sleeping with him. He is my partner. Our boss has rules about that sort of thing.'

Jim sneers at her. 'As if someone like you would ever bother with rules. You didn't follow mine. Why should your boss be an exception?'

'Don't be ridiculous.' Kate scoffs. 'This is so stupid Jim. You're nothing more than a bastard. A stupid, jealous bastard.'

No sooner are the words out of her mouth Jim slaps her across the face. Kate is knocked backwards into the wall behind her. He has split her lip. Kate struggles to stand up but Jim hits her again, slamming her head into the wall. Kate sees stars. Jim squats in front of her. 'You, Katie, are nothing more than a whore. A stupid, ignorant whore.'

* * *

Kate closes her eyes. She can hear Jim stomping around. She uses the coffee table to pull herself to her feet. 

She leans on the table for a moment, steeling herself, the blood from her lip drips onto the TV guide.

Kate walks into the hallway. She is numb, she knows that she should be feeling pain, physical and emotional, she should be crying, angry. But there is nothing. Just a cold emptiness where her heart once was.

Kate crams all of her clothes and things into a suit case. She leaves the knick-knacks. Never liked them any way, and they all remind her of all the _Happy Times_ she shared with Jim. Kate then retrieves her gun from the hall table. Above the table is a mirror, in which Kate catches sight of her reflection.

Her lip has bled onto her collar. Kate wipes her lip and stares herself down. Her eyes are wild, crazy, and the left one is twitching.

Kate holsters her gun and proceeds to drag her suitcase out the door, but she hasn't taken two steps before she feels his hand on her arm.

'Going somewhere Katie?'

Kate spins back around. Trying to keep her voice even, she says; 'Its over Jim. I'm leaving.'

Jim grabs her arm again in his vice-like grip. 'You're not going _anywhere_ Katie. You're going to unpack your suitcase, and then we're going to go to bed, because that's what good housewives do, they learn to hold their tongues, and to please their husbands.'

Kate's eyes darken. She twists free from Jim's grasp. Her lips curl in anger. 'You are not my husband you sanctimonious son of a bitch and you never will be!'

Jim draws his arm back again but this time Kate is faster. In less than a second she has her gun pointed at his chest. The safety catch is still on and her finger isn't even on the trigger but it is a dramatic enough move to make him drop his arm to his side and for fear to show on his face. 'Give me a reason Jim, please, I'm begging you.'

Jim backs away, his face a mixture of rage and fear. Kate puts her Sig back in its holster and drags her suitcase outside to her car, into the rain, into the night.

* * *

Kate drives through the storm without destination, without purpose. She doesn't realise she is crying until she looks into her rear view mirror. It's the final straw. Kate pulls over to the side of the highway, crying so hard she can barely breathe. She cries for lost dreams, lost love and because she will have to tell her mother that she has failed yet again. Kate cries because she is completely and utterly alone. 

_Am I alone?_ Kate knows she is not. She has Tony, her friend, her partner, her confidante.

After some time, Kate pulls herself together enough for her to drive. But before she starts her car she twists her ring, Jim's ring, off her finger and tosses it into the night. It glimmers on the wet bitumen, and Kate sees it blurred with her tears. She looks at it for a moment, before making a u-turn, ignoring the swearing drivers, and driving in the opposite direction, this time with a destination, this time with a purpose.

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**Please r&r**


	13. Chapter 13

**Disclaimer: I do not own NCIS, or Requiem For A Dream, or The Shining. (But I do own the DVDs to NCIS and The Shining. My mom wouldn't buy me Requiem.) **

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Tony sits on his leather couch, watching Requiem for a Dream for the hundredth time. The lights are low and he has a half empty bottle of beer in his hand. 

He had been contemplating calling Abby to come over for a movie night but that afternoon McGee had said that he and Abby were going to a party. McGee would be unconscious after two drinks and Abby would have to drive him home. Tony knew not to even think about calling Gibbs, and Kate? No, it would be awkward and Tony would end up doing something he would regret.

Tony turns his attention back to the movie. Harry is walking on the pier. He steps backwards and falls into nothingness. "Marioooon!"

Tony knows that it's a metaphor. Knows better than anyone. One wrong move and you're falling, falling.

He shouldn't have kissed her. It had just made things worse. Now it hurts to even look at her. He loves her that much.

About a week ago Tony thought that maybe he should just let it go. Try to forget. So he went to a bar, hit on a blonde whose cup size was higher than her IQ. They had gone into the back room and had sex on one of the couches. He didn't feel anything for this woman. He didn't even know her name. Tony had just wanted to stop tasting Kate on the inside of his mouth, stop feeling her tears on his face. Afterwards, he had driven home feeling empty, and worse than before.

Tony lets his eyes drift shut. He is so tired. The team has just solved a harrowing case, a murder-suicide. A navy lieutenant had murdered his wife and eight year old twin girls with an axe, then shot himself in the mouth.

Tony had known better than to mention The Shining after seeing the look on Gibbs' face. None of them had taken it very well. Not even Ducky, who'd seen it all. But worst of all was Kate's face when they had uncovered the motive: He had thought his wife was cheating on him. Jealousy can make people do crazy things.

Tony falls into unconsciousness, sleeping fitfully for a couple of hours. Suddenly he is awoken by a particularly loud clap of thunder. Tony sits up and stretches, flexing his neck so the vertebra crack. In his sleepy state Tony vaguely registers that the noise that woke him was not thunder at all, but instead, someone pounding on his door.

Tony sighs and gets up, turning off his TV as he goes. He wonders sleepily with a mix of curiosity and annoyance who could be calling at 0142 on a Saturday morning. However, when he opens his door he is awake instantly.

Standing on his threshold, dripping rain water onto his carpet, is Kate.

Tony pulls her inside, out of the storm. In the light he can see that her lip is split and there is dried blood on her shirt.

Tony's eyes widen in shock. 'God, Kate. Who did this?'

Kate slides her gaze away from his and closes her eyes. 'Jim…'

Tony doesn't say anything to that. He pulls her to him and holds her tightly for a moment, water from her hair and her tears soaking into his shirt.

Tony guides Kate into his kitchen, sits her down at the table. Kate sits with her head in her hands.

'I just…' Kate says softly. 'I'd finally had enough.'

_Me too_ thinks Tony as he returns with two glasses of Jack Daniels and a warm wet was cloth.

'Ooookaay…' Tony sits down opposite Kate and lifts her chin with two fingers. Slowly, carefully, Tony cleans the blood and tears off Kate's face.

Kate chuckles a little. 'Since when do you know anything about first aid Tony?'

Tony grins at her. 'Well you see Kate, there's so many women dressed as nurses willing to teach me a thing or two…'

Kate tries to give him the deathglare but she can't help laughing.

As her laughter fades she begins to stroke his hand. 'You're so good to me Tony. There's a whole other side of you that I never see.' Kate pauses and Tony stops tending to her as she takes a sip of her whiskey. Kate goes on. 'You're like an iceberg.' Tony gives her a skeptical look.

'You mean I'm cold?'

Kate smiles at him. 'No Tony. You are the last person I would call cold.'

Tony grins. 'Ohh. So I get you hot, huh?'

'Tony, be serious for one second!'

Tony bows his head a little, chagrined. 'Sorry.'

Kate rolls her eyes. 'What I was going to say,' She continues, her voice softening. 'was that the thing about icebergs is that we only see ten percent of them. The other ninety percent is beneath the water.' Kate moves her hand from the back of his hand up to his jaw, stroking her thumb along it. 'You are like that sometimes.'

Tony smiles sadly at her, and then sits back to sip his whiskey.

Tony stands and stretches, extending a hand to hand to help Kate up.

As they stand toe to toe, Tony turns Kate's left hand over in his, extending her fingers. 'What happened to your ring?'

Kate looks down at their hands. 'I threw it out the window when I was driving on Highway 61.'

She looks back up at him. The corner of her mouth twitches.

And suddenly they are laughing. They laugh until they cry, clinging to each other's forearms. Its not even funny, and yet they laugh. Its that or they'll burst into tears.

After several minutes, their laughter tapers off, and they are gasping for breath. Kate leans her head on Tony's chest, feeling one of his hands come up to the back of her neck, and the other to her waist.

She pulls back a little to look him in the eye, and he smiles at her. A proper Tony smile, a smile that says, everything will be okay.

Kate smiles back at him, and leans in closer, into his warmth.

Tony moves his hand from her waist to cup her face, brushing his thumb over her broken lip.

He closes the distance between them with a soft kiss, which Kate deepens, slipping her tongue between his lips.

Tony tastes the blood on Kate's lip, the whiskey on her tongue and the shadows in her heart.

When they come up for air, he leans his forehead against hers.

'This is so messed up.' She whispers to him.

Tony grins. 'Welcome to my world, Kate.'

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**I won't update until you review. ** **Really I won't. Even if I've typed up chapter 14 you wont get it 'till you reveiw. BAHA I'm evil today.**


	14. Chapter 14

**This is it folks! I had a great time writing this and I hope you had a great time reading it. I don't think there will be a sequel, but I may do a short thing on what happens to Jim. Enjoy chapter 14.**

**Disclaimer: I own an iPod a phone, a bunch of clothes and Dr James Gregory Rowels. I do not own NCIS.  
**

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Tony wakes up on Saturday morning with his face buried in Kate's hair.

It takes him a few moments to remember the night before.

When he does, he smiles to himself and pulls Kate closer to him, smelling her smell, feeling her warmth.

After a while, Tony carefully disentangles himself from Kate, careful not to wake her. Anyone who didn't know them would think that they we're husband and wife. That they had known each other for a lifetime.

Tony drapes the sheet back over Kate, then pulls on his boxers.

He pads into the kitchen and looks at the clock. 0932.

Tony stretches and takes his phone out of its cradle. He taps the antenna on his chin, sauntering over to the list of phone numbers taped to his fridge.

First he calls the non-emergency police number.

'Yeah, Hi. This is NCIS Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo. NCIS stands for-…Good you've heard of us…Mmmhmm…Yeah, well I'd like you boys to go pick someone up…His name is Dr James Rowels…Two counts of striking a law enforcement officer…He lives at 3351 Cherry Street SE Washington…Thank you…And one more thing, could you take him to NCIS HQ…Ask for Special Agent Gibbs. He'll know what to do with him.'

Tony disconnects the call before calling Gibbs' cell.

Hey Boss…I need a favour...Remember Kate's fiancé?...yeah him…well it turns out he's a bastard…yeah…h-how did you know?...well I've got DCPD bringing him in to HQ…So could you...thanks boss…I owe you one. But how did you-'

But Gibbs has hung up. Sometimes Tony thinks that that man knows too much. Later Tony will go in to pay Jim a visit himself. That is if Gibbs hasn't found some excuse to shoot him.

But there is still the matter of who told Gibbs.

Tony doubts it was Kate and McGee is clever enough not to, It probably wasn't Ducky, so that only left…Abby.

Tony dials Abby's number. McGee answers on the fifth ring. He sounds hung-over. Tony taunts him for a while about how much he drank before he hands the phone over to Abby. Abby is her usual perky self, and Tony guesses that she has already had her morning Redbull, and then some.

'Hey Abs…How was your party?…heh…how much did Probie drink?...heh…well…the wedding's off…yeah Kate pulled the plug…what do you mean "what did I do?" I didn't do any thing. He's the bastard that split her lip…yeah I know…I've got DCPD bringing him in. Gibbs can deal with him…yeah that's what I said…He knew! Did you tell him?...no of course not. What about McGee?...then who told him?...yeah. Freaky…What?...She's fine. She's sleeping…yes in my bed. What do you think I'd make her sleep on the couch?...It wasn't like that…Well actually it was exactly like that. Please don't tell Gibbs…yes we did...Geez you sound like my mother…mmhmm…yeah. Ciao, Abby.'

Tony puts the phone back in its cradle, smiling. Abby already knew. Of course she did. She's Abby. Tony has a feeling that Gibbs knows as well. Gibbs knows everything. He's Gibbs, after all.

Tony stretches again, popping his neck. He can see down the hallway to his bedroom. The sunlight is filtering through his curtains, casting a bright beam onto the bed. The light is behind Kate, giving her a bright outline.

Tony smiles to himself, and takes a frypan from the draw. He finds the eggs and the flour, proceeding to make pancakes.

When Tony was little, his mother, when she was alive, would make him pancakes when he was down.

It was her way of saying; everything'll be okay. It'll turn out alright in the end.

_Fin  
_

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**Please review!**

_**Julia xo**  
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